Enia
Unbelievably, I’ve been at uni for just over a month! The time feels like it has flown by (I can’t really imagine life before it) but, at the same time, everything still feels new and a tad intimidating. My family have just visited for the first time since I’ve been here. It was so nice to see them again and any worries that they would have moved on without me were quashed as soon as I saw them. We settled into our old rhythm straight away.
Yet, I had been quite nervous to see them and I think this is because I was afraid of how I’d. As a friend put it, seeing your old life and your new life merge can be weird. But it wasn’t only that. I was also apprehensive about how I’d feel if I saw them: would it make me feel very homesick?
Up to now, I’d been too busy with work and nights out to consciously think about the fact that I’ve been away from home longer than ever before. I’d been too wrapped up in this strange, magical bubble of sleep-deprived evenings and coffee-infused mornings to think about the fact that I hadn’t seen any of my family for a month.
But as the day of their visit drew closer, I found myself thinking about the people I used to see every day, family and friends; I found myself dreaming I was walking through my house; I found myself missing the many little things I used to do with my family on a daily basis.
So seeing them was, of course, wonderful, but it was also tinged with the knowledge that the visit couldn’t last forever. And, understandably, it was very hard to say goodbye. After such a fun day together, I wanted to go back with them, but remembering how much fun I’ve had here made me want to stay.
Speaking to some others whose families who have visited, I realised I wasn’t alone in feeling temporarily worse after they had left, something that reassured me. My tactic for dealing with my homesickness is simply going to be immersing myself in life here once again and reminding myself that the holidays aren’t too far away now! And, top tip: a biscuit or two can always make you feel a little better… I speak from experience!
Enia x